Does Social Capital Matter for Subjective Health among U.S. Adults? Evidence from the World Values Survey

• In Event: Medical Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 14. Social Resources and Health

Abstract

Health disparities remain a major public health concern in the United States. This paper investigates the relationship between social capital and subjective health in American adults and the moderating role of income, education, and age. Data were used from the World Values Survey (wave 7), and respondents were included only from the United States (N = 2,359; mean age = 43.44 years). This study employs three theoretical perspectives. The multidimensional form of social capital was validated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) through principal component analysis (KMO =.798; Bartlett’s χ² =14,095.55, df = 210, p <.001), which identified five factors that explained 56.23 percent of the total variance. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that social capital had a significant relationship with subjective health (R² = .111, F = 20.997, p < .001). Also, social trust (B =.120, p =.001), political participation (B =.036, p =.047), and institutional confidence (B =.082, p =.001) had positive relationships with self-rated health, consistent with social capital theory. Furthermore, Income (B = .229, p < .001) and education (B = .072, p < .001) were also significant predictors, which supports fundamental cause theory. Age was negatively associated with health (B = −.005, p < .001). In the income moderation model, importantly, the interaction between income and social trust was statistically significant (B = −.066, p = .031), indicating the association between social trust and health varies across income levels, consistent with resource substitution theory. On the other hand, moderation analysis revealed a significant interaction between education and social capital (B = −.023, p = .047), demonstrating that the association between social capital and subjective health varies across levels of education. These outcomes indicate that social capital is a multidimensional predictor of self-rated health, and the effects of social capital are influenced by socioeconomic resources. By integrating sociological theories, this study contributes to the sociological understanding of how the social and structural conditions shape health inequalities in the United States.

Author

• MD Akter Hossen, University of North Texas